Movies tend to be more than simply blockbusters hit with explosions and superpowers, it’s the main idea behind the movie that changes people and injects a notion in the viewer’s head. To illustrate, the movie Joker wasn’t a hero vs villain film, fighting with superpowers and wreaking havoc on New York City. It portrayed how there is a distinct chasm between the rich and the poor, the lucky and the unlucky, and how mental illness can distort a person’s morality and value system. So, films tend to be far more than simply an activity for enjoyment and amusement, it plays an imperative role in shaping our view on the world and communal consciousness. In short, videos educate people and spread ideas in ways a paperback book early does today.
Why videos?
One reason for the effectiveness of videos is also the stark difference between motion pictures and books, which is visualization. A visual content displays content that quickly registers to our visual stimulus as compared to a book, which explains why people spend hours on YouTube instead of reading a book. Moreover, motion pictures help generate concrete graphics that help people hold on to the idea for a longer time. Evidently, flicks are the perfect medium to learn about an idea or to dive into a topic with your head first.
AI in Holywood
Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Information Science are popular terms in this era. And knowing what it is and its value in the coming years is a lot far more crucial than ever. Although Hollywood videos tend to exaggerate for dramatic effects, such as the Terminator movie, where killer robots from SKYNET turn sentient and start destroying humans, there is still some truth in these motion pictures. There are experts in the field today who fear a super-intelligent AI who will outsmart us and eventually decide to wipe us off the face of the Earth. On the other side of the spectrum, AI is depicted as a miracle invention, the intelligent machine that can perform analytical tasks such as simulations and predictions much better than humans. In the flicks, you see AI as a helper to humans, assisting us in all kinds of tasks, from being a sidekick on space adventures to a lover.
If you’re interested in AI, Machine Learning and Facts Science, or you just have no idea what to do at home during this COVID-19 mayhem, check out the list of films (in no particular order) below and watch them.
The list of movies
1. Blade Runner (1982)
Blade Runner is a classic dystopian movie where bio-engineered replicas of humans powered by AI live amongst real humans and the only distinction between them is they only live for 4 years. The sequel for this film, Blade Runner 2049 is also a great film that dives even deeper into the topic of AI and its future.
2. Westworld (1973)
Westworld is a movie about how AI can be used to entertain us and allow us to live out our fantasies. It reminds us of the fine line where technology and ethics collide and makes us question ourselves.
3. 2001: Space Odyssey
HAL 9000, a supercomputer on a spacecraft heading to Jupiter is in charge of most operations, which leads to terrifying events when it glitches and decides to destroy the world. As HAL kills off the crew one by one, we are reminded of the dangers of letting AI take control of our world and be mindful of the consequences.
4. Moon (2009)
Moon is similar to 2001: Space Odessy, as this movie has its own HAL 9000, named GERTY. GERTY is a computer and companion of Sam Bell, a lone astronaut on the face of the Moon. As his term on the Moon comes to an end, he faces an accident and meets his younger self. The movie’s minimalistic quality in addition to the philosophical and thought-provoking scenes makes it one of the best sci-fi films out there.
5. The Matrix (1999)
The Matrix the quintessential dystopia where humanity’s fear of superintelligent AI becomes a reality. In “The Matrix”, a simulation of reality created by AI to keep us subdued, Neo meets Morpheus, which sets him free from the simulation and starts a new chapter in his life where he battles the intelligent begins in the form of secret agents and discovers his true identity. The Matrix gives us a glimpse of the grim future of the dark side of AI as well as a few life lessons to ponder upon.
6. Star Wars (1977)
The famous droid duo in Star Wars — The beloved C3-PO and his fellow droid friend R2D2 — are both sentient AI droids that have human-like personalities and are capable of emotions. The interesting thing is that they are treated as pets, or even slaves. This is akin to a relationship between a dog and a man, except the dog can speak and express its opinions. This take on Artificial Intelligence by Star Wars makes us think about how they will be embedded into the fabric of our society and how society will treat AI in the future either as helpers, pets, friends or not trust them at all.
7. Star Trek: Generations (1994)
The AI star of the movie is Lieutenant Commander Data, a sentient, self-aware android who serves as a senior officer aboard the USS Enterprise. This AI-powered super brain is also equipped with an emotion chip that simulates human emotions. This makes Details a human-like droid that can feel like us, but with a sophisticated brain that can calculate risks better than any human.
8. The Terminator (1984)
The Terminator is one of the most popular flicks when it comes to portraying the bleak future of a world where AI suddenly turns evil and starts killing everyone. It illustrates the possibility of AI becoming an existential threat. In this film, Skynet, an AI system that sparks a nuclear holocaust sends back a cyborg assassin (The Terminator) to prevent the birth of John Connor who will spark a rebel group that fights against Skynet. This movie serves as a reminder to create an AI that is safe and to think twice about creating an AI that can wipe us out.
9. Robocop (1987)
Robocop is said to be a movie that truly unmasks the ethics of AI. This is because Robocop is an amalgamation of AI and human, which proves the fact that morality and ethics cannot be artificial or automated. Our underlying humanity still needs to be a part of the equation or consequences will follow. This relates to the dangers of weaponizing AI in the military (lethal autonomous weapon systems) and why regulations of AI use must be set in place to prevent misuse of AI.
10. Wall-E
WALL-E is the epitome of Artificial Narrow Intelligence that we see today, though not as sophisticated as the ones in the movie (WALL-E being capable of emotions such as loneliness and love). Narrow AI is an intelligent system that is very good at doing a specific thing. We see that in our everyday life today, such as self-driving cars and voice assistants. In this movie, WALL-E cleans garbage, EVE looks for life and Auto pilots the ship. WALL-E is one of the rare sci-fi films out there that shows the bright side of AI and the good it can bring to the world.
Action Plan
Ihope that through these amazing sci-fi films, you are able to be fully engrossed into a world where AI becomes a friend, a lover, a killer, a soldier, a slave, and discover the power of mathematics and algorithms and its ability to achieve amazing things like stopping a war and winning major in a casino.
Artificial Intelligence is truly the greatest invention of humanity. As seen in the videos, AI will either be the death of us, or an augmentation of our human cognitive and physical abilities, allowing us to do incredible things.
Myths of AI
AI will be everywhere in the near future, and the first step towards learning about it is to bust the myths around AI.
One of the most important myth is that AI will become conscience and turn evil, killing every human in its path, even though that is unnerving, the real worry is that AI will have goals which are not aligned with ours. When that happens, there won’t be much we can do to stop them. click here for more
Another large myth is that Super AI is coming soon and we should all be worried now. The truth is, no one, not even the most intelligent experts in the field right now knows when Super AI will be achieved. It could be decades, centuries, or even never.
The movies always portray AI as an intimidating robot figure that shoots lasers and is indestructible. However, an AI won’t need a body to do its worst, all it needs is a place on the internet, and all hell can break loose.
